Capt. Keith Intreview at Caterpillar LOL Looks like his stock of Cup O Noodles is increasing fast! LOL

Cat snags celebrity fisherman

It only takes one bad wave to ruin your day. Look for the Discovery Channel to inscribe that on a T-shirt or bath towel sometime soon.
It's all part of the modern marketing scene on TV these days. The celebrity guest at several Caterpillar Inc. facilities last week was not a Hollywood star or pro athlete. It was a fisherman.

Keith Colburn is a TV star, of course. The captain of the Wizard fishing boat is one of the main players on Discovery's "Deadliest Catch," a rough-and-tumble reality show now in its fourth season.

By now, you're familiar with the show's premise even if you've only glimpsed those frantic fishermen in rough seas on a channel surfing session.

Colburn made the rounds of Caterpillar plants in the Peoria area as a big supporter of the engines that help power his way through the Alaskan waters, not always the kindest environment.

"The Bering Sea is one of the most demanding places in the world to work," Colburn told an appreciative crowd at Caterpillar's Mossville plant.

When you're battling Arctic cold, 30-foot waves and the physical strain of modern fishing, the last thing you need is engine trouble, he said. Colburn estimated that Caterpillar powers "75 percent of the fishing boats" that work around him off the Alaskan coast.

If you haven't been paying attention (and there's the Discovery Channel Web site to bring you up to speed), Colburn's boat is a converted military transport that spent 30 years tied up at Boston Harbor before being retrofitted as a fishing boat, he said.

"It's an amazing boat. It packs more crab than anybody else," said Colburn, noting that the Wizard can hold more than 400,000 pounds of crustaceans.

Colburn is a devoted family man when not at sea. He has a wife and two small children in Seattle and looks forward to serving as Little League coach when he's not making personal appearances. Such is life for today's real-world TV stars.

But Colburn is under no illusions. "Ultimately, the TV thing will disappear," he said. Of course, there will always be the DVDs, but Colburn realizes that fame - for a fisherman - is a fleeting thing.

Two years ago he bought the boat and now captains it along with brother Monty, who, he confides, "serves as a punching bag for me."

Having cameramen aboard (there are two) when out at sea was a little awkward at first, said Colburn, who marvels at the stamina and ingenuity of the Discovery team. "They're not only photographers and producers but technicians," he said.

When you're shooting video out at sea in a howling gale, one has to be creative when it comes to protecting your equipment, Colburn said.

Listening to Colburn answer questions from the Mossville audience was enlightening. Here's a little of what we learned:

- Colburn admitted to being superstitious and gratefully received Caterpillar's gift of Ramen noodles (and duffle bags) following his presentation (he has to have noodles before fishing can commence).

- He doesn't get a whole lot of sleep while out fishing. Although the crew works 18 hours on, six hours off, while at sea, Colburn acknowledged that there have been occasions when he's gone several days without sleep at the helm.

- Global warming was acknowledged. Colburn said he's noticed dramatic spikes in the Bering Sea climate in recent years. It's a concern. "Fishing stocks are governed by water temperatures," he said.

Media columnist Steve Tarter can be reached at 686-3260 or starter@pjstar.com.

Thanks for posting Mystic. I'm loving that Caterpillar gave Keith Cup O Noodles and duffle bags.. Too funny. .

I too found hilarity in the Cup O Noodles, hahaha! ...I'm telling you, there will never be a shortage aboard the Wizard again! LOL!!! Also, it was cool getting to see the engine room on the Wiz.

It was definitely cool getting to see the engine room. I think I have like 10 pictures of everything down there - - can't say I know what they are though..hehehe me was snap happy.

hi keith and crew.what do you reccommend to someone that has been an engineer,welder,and diesel mechanic all his life to find a job aboard a fishing vessel?email me and let me know i am very interested. thanks,lee